LATEST NEWS

2007 CHINESE DEMOCRACY WORLD TOUR BEGINS IN MEXICO

(June 7, 2007) Guns n Roses performed concerts in Mexico from June 2 - 5.. These were the band's first shows since their North America tour ended in December of last year. The set list featured primarily songs from the Appetite For Destruction, Lies and Use Your Illusion albums.

However, the following songs, which are rumored to be on the Chinese Democracy album, were played: "The Blues," "IRS," "Better" and "Madagascar." The tour will now move onto Australia, New Zealand and Japan. For a full list of tour dates check out: http://www.htgth.com/tour/index.php

NEW DEMOS LEAKED ONLINE

(May 5, 2007) Studio demos of the songs “The Blues” and “Chinese Democracy” were leaked on various fan forums. Both these tracks were played on GnR's 2002 and 2006 tours. Also, brand new demos of “I.R.S.” and “TWAT/There Was A Time” also surfaced.

AXL'S LAWYER STATEMENT

(May 3, 2007) Lawyers for Axl Rose send a letter to a GnR fan forum warning members against posting leaked demos. The statement also briefly mentions the Chinese Democracy album: "As far as the release of the album goes, all I can tell you is that I honestly believe we are getting close."

RESCHEDULED WORLD TOUR ANNOUNCED

(April 26, 2007) The official GnR website announces the 2007 World Tour that will begin June 2nd in Monterrey, Mexico. An appearance at the MyCoke Festival in South Africa is cancelled because of Tommy Stinson’s sprained wrist. The statement says the shows will feature "new songs from the band's forthcoming Chinese Democracy album."

TOMMY STINSON INJURED

(April 11, 2007) GnR postpones their planned concerts in Japan because bassist Tommy Stinson has injured his wrist.

JAPAN & SOUTH AFRICA CONCERTS ANNOUNCED

(March 2007) The official site announces the first leg of GnR's 2007 World Tour which will include shows in Japan and South Africa.

"MADAGASCAR" LEAKS

(March 2007) A demo for the song “Madagascar” has leaked to the internet. The song was performed live on the band's 2002 and 2006 tours.

NEW "BETTER" DEMO LEAKS

(February 2007) A brand new demo for the song “Better” has leaked online. This is the version that was briefly heard in last year's pulled Harley Davidson commercial.

ALBUM UPDATE

(February 22, 2007) Official update on the album from GnR.com. Del James: "The good news is that all of the recording for the album has been completed. There is no official release date, as the band is currently mixing, but after some delays and scheduling difficulties, things appear to be moving along.”

AXL RECORDING IN LAS VEGAS

(January 7, 2007) The Las Vegas Review-Journals reports that Axl is putting down the final vocals for the album at the Palms recording studios.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Guns n Roses Official Website http://web.gunsnroses.com/index.jsp

My GnR Newswire http://www.mygnr.com/news/news_2007.html

NY Times March 2005 Article on the album http://www.gnrwire.com/?p=34

Roses of Velvet fan forum http://rosesofvelvet.com/forum/index.php/board,1.0.html

CHINESE DEMOCRACY ALBUM TIMELINE

Welcome to the Chinese Democray timeline. This site provides a detailed history of the unreleased Guns n Roses studio album Chinese Democracy. Which had been discussed by music fans, critics and the media since 1999.

To download an easier to read word version of the timeline click here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3C06TE5O

Main sources for information:
“Here Today Gone To Hell” website.
MyGnR Forum Newswire
NY Times Article: “Most Expensive Album Never Made”

BASIC INFORMATION:

BAND: Guns N Roses
ALBUM TITLE: Chinese Democracy
RELEASE DATE: Unknown
RECORDING DATES: 1994-present

PERSONNEL:
VOCALS: W. Axl Rose
GUITAR: Paul “Huge” Tobias, Robin Finck, Brian May, Gary Sunshine, Dave Navarro, Buckethead, Richard Fortus, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal
BASS: Tommy Stinson
DRUMS: Chris Vrena, Dave Abbruzzese, Josh Freese, Brian “Brain” Mantia, Frank Ferrer
PIANO: Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed
KEYBOARD: Dizzy Reed, Chris Pittman
PROGRAMMING: Axl Rose, Chris Pittman
ORCHESTRA ARRANGER: Paul Buckmaster, Marco Beltrami
PRODUCERS: Axl Rose, Mike Clink, Youth, Moby, Sean Beaven, Bob Ezrin, Roy Thomas Baker, Caram Costanzo
ENGINEERS: Dave Dominguez, Eric Cadieux, Andy Wallace

CONFIRMED SONG TITLES (SOURCE)

Better (leaked demos 2006-07)
Catcher In The Rye (leaked demo 2006)
Chinese Democracy (leaked demo 2007)
General (Arranger Marco Beltrami 2002)
I.R.S. (leaked demos 2006-07)
Ides Of March (Engineer Dave Dominguez 2000)
If The World (GnR official website 2006)
Leave Me Alone (Arranger Marco Beltrami 2002)
Madagascar (leaked demo 2007)
Oh My God (End Of Days soundtrack 1999)
Oklahoma (Rolling Stone 2000)
Prostitute (Arranger Paul Buckmaster 2005)
Riyadh And The Bedouins (performed live 2001-02)
Seven (Arranger Marco Beltrami 2002)
Silkworms (performed live 2001)
Sorry (Sebastian Bach 2006)
The Blues (leaked demo 2007)
This I Love (Engineer Dave Dominguez 2000)
Thyme (Arranger Marco Beltrami 2002)
TWAT/There Was A Time (leaked demos 2006-07)

RUMORED SONG TITLES (SOURCE)

Atlas Shrugged (Sp1at website 2005)
Closing In On You (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Cock-A-Roach Soup (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Friend or Foe (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Hearts Get Killed (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
No Love Remains (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Quick Song (Sp1at website 2005)
Something Always (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Strange Disease (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Suckerpunched (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Zip It (Kerrang! magazine 1999)
Zodiac (Sp1at website 2005)

1993 - 1997: BACKGROUND INFO

07/17/93: Guns N Roses (GnR) play the last show of their Use Your Illusion world tour.

11/23/93: GnR releases an album of punk covers called The Spaghetti Incident?

January 1994: GnR lead singer W. Axl Rose and guitarist Slash appear on the radio show Rock Line and say they’re about to start work on the next Guns N Roses studio album. Axl also reveals he is working on a “top secret project” and hoping to collaborate with Queen guitarist Brian May.

January 1994: Slash tells Kerrang! magazine the next GN'R album will be out in the Summer.

Early 1994: Axl, Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Gilby Clarke enter the studio to begin work on their first album of original material since the 1991 albums Use Your Illusion I and II.. GnR’s record company Geffen says they hope to have the album out before the end of the year.

May 1994: Gilby Clarke tells Kerrang! magazine: "There is no `next GN'R album'. We started working on one, and it got canned. It's an Axl thing. He just wasn't into what we were doing, so he's kind of rethinking what he wants to do. He just kind of threw a wrench into everything that me, Slash and Matt had worked to."

June 1994: Axl fires Gilby Clarke and replaces him with his childhood friend Paul "Huge" Tobias.

December 1994: GnR’s cover of the Rolling Stones "Sympathy For The Devil" is released as a single and featured in the film Interview With A Vampire.

February 1995 Slash's Snakepit releases their debut album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere. Made up primarily of material Slash wrote for the new Guns N Roses album that was rejected by Axl.

November 1995: Slash tells Metal Hammer magazine: "I played him (Axl) the material that I was writing, and he was like, ‘I don't wanna do that kind of music.’ So I took the material back And then I booked a tour, and at this point Axl turned around and wanted the material back. And that's where the big shit started, because I told him, "Dude, it's gone. If I remember correctly, it was turned down flat." And that's where we got threats of lawsuits and this, that and the other."

Fall 1995: Axl brings in Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde to work with GnR. He quits after a few weeks.

1995: GnR’s original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin is brought into write songs with Axl and Duff for the new album. He winds up working mostly with Duff. The pair collaborate on Izzy’s next two solo albums.

August, 1996: Neurotic Outsiders, featuring Duff and Matt Sorum, release their first album. The band then tours North American and Europe.

10/30/96: Slash announces he has left Guns N Roses. Axl sends a fax to MTV which says Slash hasn’t been a part of GN'R since 1995. Despite Slash's departure, Axl says Guns N Roses will continue.

January 1997 Axl officially buys the rights to the name Guns N' Roses.

January 1997: In an interview with the Addicted To Noise online magazine, Slash talks about giving up his rights to the GN'R name. "I was blindsided by it, more or less a legal faux pas. I'd be lying to say I wasn't a little bit peeved at that. The fact that he (Axl) can actually go and record a new GN'R record without the consent of the other members of the band."

Early 1997: Former Nine Inch Nails member Robin Finck becomes Guns N Roses new lead guitarist.

May 1997: Duff and Matt appear at the Music West conference. Matt confirms that drummers Chris Vrena (ex-Nine Inch Nails) and Dave Abbruzzese (ex-Pearl Jam) have been working with GnR and that Moby is helping produce.

May 1997: MTV says Mike Clink (producer of Appetite for Destruction) is now working on the album.

Summer 1997: Matt Sorum is fired from Guns n Roses.

August 1997 Duff McKagan quits Guns N Roses.

1998 - 2001: 2000 INTENTIONS

February 1998: Rolling Stone article. GnR manager Doug Goldstein says Axl is in an LA studio working on the new album and that the band has recorded "more than 300 hours of material." He estimates they are "three to five months away from actual recording" and not to expect a record until 1999.

April 1998: MTV reports Axl will soon be going into the studio with producer Youth and that GnR is currently writing and rehearsing songs. A Geffen spokesperson says that "while it’s possible, it’s highly unlikely a new GnR album will come out this year."

September 1998: Addicted to Noise says the new GnR lineup is: Axl Rose, Robin Finck, Paul Tobias, Dizzy Reed, drummer Josh Freese (formerly of The Vandals), bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements) and effects man Chris Pittman. GnR spokesperson Bryn Bridenthal says the band is working on an album that sounds like an "electronic-influenced progression of Guns n' Roses" and that "we're anticipating a record next summer."

November 1998: Much Music reports that the band is now working with producer Sean Beaven in a Los Angeles studio.

1998: Geffen Records promises Axl a $1 million bonus if he delivers a new Guns N Roses album by March 1 of the following year.

1999: The new lineup of GnR records an updated version of Appetite For Destruction. This was mainly to help prepare the band for future concerts. Axl later tells Kurt Loder: “I don't know what I'm going to do with it, exactly, when I would be putting that out. But you know, it has a lot of energy.”

January 1999: Seagram orchestrates a massive restructuring of its music division, firing 110 Geffen employees and folding the unit into the corporation's bigger Interscope Records division. The unfinished Guns N Roses album project is placed in the hands of Interscope's chairman, Jimmy Iovine.

July 1999: During the end credits of the film Big Daddy an updated version of the GnR classic “Sweet Child O’Mine” is heard. It starts out with a live recording from 1993 then turns into a studio version recorded by new GnR lineup.

08/01/99: Robin Finck leaves GN'R to rejoin Nine Inch Nails.

August 1999: Kerrang! magazine says GnR has been working on around 30 songs and the music is a mix of “techno-industrial rock” and “old-style Guns sleaze.” They reveal that basketball star Shaquille O’Neal rapped on one track. Rumored titles for the album are Cockroach Soup and 2000 Intentions. Polygram/Universal says the album has been on its release schedule several times but the band have consistently failed to meet deadlines.

November 1999: Guns n Roses concert album Live Era 1987-1993 is released. Axl laters tells Kurt Loder “It was something we wanted to give to the public in a way of saying farewell. It was a very difficult thing to do, as listening to it and the people involved... [it] wasn't the most emotionally pleasant thing to do.”

November 1999: The first new original Guns N Roses song since 1991, “Oh My God” is released as part of the End Of Days movie soundtrack. The track features four guitarists: Tobias, Finck, Dave Navarro (from Jane’s Addiction) and Gary Sunshine.

November 8th, 1999: GnR manager Doug Goldstein tells the LA Times a new album called Chinese Democracy will be released in 2000.

November 1999: Axl is interviewed by Kurt Loder for MTV. He talks about the problems finishing the new album. “I originally wanted to make a traditional record or try to get back to an "Appetite" thing or something, because that would have been a lot easier for me to do... but I was not really allowed to do that.” On Slash leaving the group. “We were trying to make things work with Slash for a very, very long time... about three and a half years.” On Duff and Matt leaving. “That was their choice to leave. Everybody that's gone did it by choice. Matt was fired, but Matt came in attempting to get fired and told many people so that night.”

On Chinese Democracy: “We've been working on, I don't know, 70 songs. The record will be about, anywhere from 16 to 18 songs, but we recorded at least two albums' worth of material that is solidly recorded.” On the new lineup. “To be honest, it was a long time for me since Guns N' Roses as the old lineup had been fun, and the new guys have been a breath of fresh air.” Loder asks “When do you think we will actually see this album? Is it possible to say early next year?” Axl says “We're hoping. Yes, definitely, everything seems to be going well.”

January 2000: Axl lets Rolling Stone writer David Wild listen to dozens of tracks off Chinese Democracy. Wild describes the music as "Physical Graffiti remixed by Beck and Trent Reznor." GnR manager Doug Goldsterin says: “'As far as I can tell, 'we are now 99% musically done and 80% vocals done. I see the record being done February or March for a summer release.''

January 2000: In the Rolling Stone article Axl talks about his decision to continue using the Guns n Roses name. “It is something I lived by before these guys were in it. And there were other people in Guns N` Roses before them, you know.” On the new record he says. “It's not an Axl Rose album, even if it's what I wanted it to be.”

March 2000: John Freese leaves GnR to form A Perfect Circle.

Spring 2000: Producer Roy Thomas Baker begins working on the album. A&R man Bob Ezrin is also brought onto the project.

October 2000: Drummer Brian “Brain” Mantia (formerly of Primus) and guitarist Buckethead join the band. Also, Robin Finck rejoins.

January 2001: Guns N' Roses plays it's first concerts since 1993 appearing at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas and Rock in Rio festival in Brazil. The new lineup features: Rose, Dizzy Reed, Paul Tobias, Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson, Brain, Buckethead and Chris Pitman. They play several new songs: "Chinese Democracy," "The Blues," "Silkworms," "Madagascar" "Rhiad And The Bedouins" and "Oh My God."

January 2001 O Globo Article “The expectations of the band turns now to the new album, "Chinese Democracy", which will be released in June. The leader guarantees his fans that they will be rewarded for the long wait. With 18 songs, the group's next album is a collection of songs, which in Axl's opinion are as good as "November Rain". The CD will include a tribute to John Lennon and another about child abuse.”

January 2001: Axl Radio Rock And Pop Chile interview. DJ asks when the new album is coming out. Axl: “Um, hopefully we will put out a new single umm sometime this spring and then the record gonna be done in June or shortly thereafter.”

January 22nd 2001 Axl Rock & Pop FM Argentina interview. DJ asks why the album has taken so long to be released. Axl: “We hadn't written songs or recorded for many years. There were band changes and there were many changes in the record company. People in the record company had many opinions and they wanted to make the best possible record. Every time that we thought that we had the correct songs, then somebody thought that we could make it better..”

Early 2001: The band announces a June tour of Europe.

May 2001: GnR reschedules its Europe dates for December because Buckethead is ill.

November 2001: GnR cancels the rescheduled European dates. Manager Doug Goldstein tells the press he forgot to make Axl aware of the tour. He says: "Following the euphoria of Rock In Rio, I jumped the gun and arranged a European tour, as our plan was to have the new album out this year."

2001: Tom Zutaut, the A&R man who helped get GnR signed to Geffen Records, works for 9 months to help Axl finish the album. "I really thought I could get him to deliver the record, and we got close."

December 29th-31st, 2001: The band plays two shows at The Joint in Las Vegas

2002 - 2005: CHINESE DEMOCRACY TAKE 1

Early 2002: Roy Thomas Baker is fired.

Early 2002: Paul Tobias leaves Guns N Roses. He is replaced with Richard Fortus (formerly of Love Spit Love).

August 14th 2002: GnR’s official website announces the Chinese Democracy World Tour which will commence in August. “Guns N’ Roses will go back into the studio immediately following the aforementioned dates to put the final touches on the forthcoming “Chinese Democracy” album.”

August 14th 2002: Axl official statement on the album: “I gave into a lot of pressure on Illusions both internally in Guns and externally in the press, those albums suffered as a consequence, it's not something I'm too excited to have to live with again. There are a lot of new songs that were just done in the last year that we feel that ‘okay, well that bumps a lot of stuff off the previous list but it's time to stop that now and wrap up the baby. It feels right, the timing, and a lot of things. We’ve sorted it down to what songs are on the record. What the sequence of the songs is. The album cover art is ready. Blah, blah, blah.

"If you're waiting...don't. Live your life. That's your responsibility not mine. If it were not to happen you won't have missed a thing. If in fact it does you might get something that works for you, in the end you could win on this either way. But if you're really into waiting try holding your breath for Jesus cause I hear the payoff may be that much greater.”

August 2002: The band plays concerts in China, Japan, London and Belgium.

08/29/02: GN'R make a surprise appearance at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kurt Loder interviews Axl afterwards and asks him if Chinese Democracy will be out soon. Axl: “Umm you'll see it, I dont know if soon is the word. But it will come out and we will, we'll go back, we'll do some more recording and then we'll start the American leg of the tour... And see how it goes from there.”

October, 2002 - Marco Beltrami reveals on his website that he provided orchestral arrangements for several songs on the new album: “Seven,” “Leave Me Alone,” “General” and “Thyme.”

11.07.02: The North American tour is set to kick off in Vancouver, Canada . However, the show is cancelled because Axl was running over an hour late. The promoters pulled the plug on the concert and a riot erupted in and out of the arena.

November – December 2002: The band tours the United States. They perform in 16 cities including a sold out show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

12.06.02: Philadelphia First Union Center: Fans wait several hours for the show to begin. Around 11 pm a spokesman tells the crowd one of the band member’s sick and the show is canceled. A riot occurs.

Dec 2002: Tour promoter Clear Channel cancels the remaining 15 dates of the tour.

July 2003: Axl plays tracks from the Chinese Democracy album to a mostly empty Crazy Horse Too club in Las Vegas.

Early 2004: GN'R record at Village Recording Studios in West Los Angeles, CA with producer/engineer Caram Costanzo and Pro Tools engineer Eric Cadieux.

02/02/04: Geffen Records Press Release: "Having exceeded all budgeted and approved recording costs by millions of dollars it is Mr. Rose's obligation to fund and complete the album, not Geffen's." Over a legal challenge by Axl, the label then issues a GnR greatest hits compilation.

March 2004: Buckethead leaves the band.

March 30th 2004 Official Press Release confirms the departure of Buckethead and talks about the status of the album. “In the meantime rather than dwelling on the negative, Guns will be moving forward and surprisingly (without giving away any details) this unfortunate set of circumstances may have given us the opportunity to take our recording that one extra step further. Regardless we hope to announce a release date within the next few months.”

October 2004: The videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is released. Featuring Axl as the voice of Tommy "The Nightmare" Smith, the K-DST DJ.

December 2004: Guns N' Roses' manager Merck Mercuriadis becomes CEO of Sanctuary Music Group. In January 2005, Rose signs a publishing deal with Sanctuary, which covers past and future work by Rose, including "dozens of new tracks Rose has recently recorded for Universal Music."

March 2005: A New York Times article about Chinese Democracy titled “The Most Expensive Album Never Made” states that production costs have reached $13 million.

March 2005: Sanctuary Group CEO and Guns N Roses manager Merck Mercuriadis states: "The 'Chinese Democracy' album is very close to being completed, people felt like the record had been made four or five times already."

September 2005: Rose reportedly tells a group of fans in Malibu that the album might be released in early 2006 and that the band is looking to put a song on the soundtrack for the movie The Da Vinci Code .

December 2005: Richard Fortus says he's going back to Los Angeles to do some recording with GN'R.

December 2005: Amazon.com posts a listing for "Guns N Roses: Chinese Democracy". The price is $21.49 with a release date of December 31, 2025 (the temporary date set for all new unconfirmed releases). The listing was removed a few days later.

2006: CHINESE DEMOCRACY TAKE 2

January 13, 2006: Axl attends a Korn tour launch party and talks to Rolling Stone. He mentions that they're working on 32 songs, and that 26 are nearly done. Of those, 13 are slated for the final album. Among Rose's favorites are "Better," "There Was a Time" and "The Blues." He promises: "people will hear music this year."

January 2006: Guns N Roses announce a European summer tour.

January 2006: Slash radio interview: "Axl has a record coming out, I think in March, which is cool, because it will be interesting to hear, after all this time." Host: "So wait, Chinese Democracy is coming out?" Slash: "Yeah, it’s coming out in March!"

February 2006: Complete studio demos of the Chinese Democracy tracks "I.R.S.""There Was A Time"/"T.W.A.T." "Better" and "Catcher in the Rye" are leaked online. Guitarist Brian May confirms that he played on "Cather In The Rye."

03/03/06: Axl files court papers to ask for "ownership of all creative works" by Guns n' Roses. According to Merck Mercuriadis: "This will not delay the new album - quite the opposite - tying up these loose ends allows us to get on with it."

March 2006: Live Nation website: "Legendary rockers Guns N' Roses will release their first album in 13 years next month when the long awaited 'Chinese Democracy' finally hits store shelves."

April 2006: (From the Rock In Rio Lisboa website) “It’s been 12 years since Guns n’ Roses’ last album was released and Axl Rose claims that Chinese Democracy will be released before the summer.”

05/05/06: Axl makes surprise appearance on Eddie Trunk's syndicated radio show in New York. Eddie asked when Axl's new album would be released. Axl - hesitated - but then said "sometime this Fall or late Fall" - and "It will be out this year."

May 2006: Guns n Roses plays four warm up shows in New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is introduced as the band’s new guitarist. They play “Better,” “IRS” and “There Was A Time” live for the first time. Axl tells the crowd: “With regards to our new album. You’ll have to hold your breath a little while longer for that.”

May 22, 2006: Sanctuary Artist Management releases a statement regarding GnR’s recent NY shows. “Over the four nights, audiences were also treated to nearly half of the band's upcoming new album, Chinese Democracy, with live performances of "Chinese Democracy," "Better," "There was a Time," "Madagascar," "IRS" and "The Blues.”

May – July 2006: Guns n Roses tours Europe. Original GnR guitarist Izzy Stradlin’ makes guest appearances at several of the shows.

August 31st, 2006: Axl makes an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards and when asked about Chinese Democracy's release, he said "it is this year". However, he refuses to give a specific month.

September 2006: On their revamped official website, Guns N' Roses announce the first leg of their "Chinese Democracy" North American Tour. The release also states: “As for Guns N' Roses forthcoming "Chinese Democracy" album the only comment at this time is that there are 13 Tuesdays left between now and the end of the year.

09/11/06: In New York Metro Magazine, Axl talks about the holdup in releasing the album: “It’s not about being a control freak. It’s about being maybe smart enough to go, ‘No, that’s a bad idea.’ That’s all it’s about—keeping the ability to at least have a shot as opposed to something that’s just an obvious disaster. I want to make a good record. I don’t want to throw a brick. This cannot be Shaq at the free-throw line.”

09/23/06: Guns n Roses headlines KROQ’s Inland Invasion concert in San Bernadino, CA. Opening act Sebastian Bach later tells Rolling Stone that after the show Axl threw a party at his mansion and played the full album in his poolroom for visitors. Bach said the album includes some tracks that have been played live or leaked onto the Internet, including the poppy “Better” and the hard-hitting “I.R.S.” Bach reveals: "There’s this one song called ‘Sorry’ that’s almost like doom metal with Axl singing really clean over this grinding, slow beat that is fucking mean.”

October 2006: GNR is supposed to kick off the Southern leg of its 'Chinese Democracy' tour Oct. 20 in Jacksonville, but the show is rescheduled for Oct. 31. The next show in Nashville is cancelled completely.

10/20/06: Harley-Davidson offered a streamed version of its latest commercial. The ad reads: "See it. Hear it. Now. Watch the TV commercial featuring the new, exclusive, unreleased Guns N' Roses' song "Better" from the forthcoming album, Chinese Democracy.” The song is quickly removed from the website.

10/24/06: John Stoll, president of West Palm Beach promoter Fantasma Productions, Inc. says that Axl rescheduled the Florida show and cancelled Nashville because “He was putting the finishing touches on the new album,'

October 5, 2006, Rolling Stone quotes a source who tells them the album has a "firm release date of November 21, 2006." Also, that engineer Andy Wallace is working on mixing the album.
.
October – December 2006: Guns n Roses tours North America. Frank Ferrer fills in on drums for Brain.

10/18/06: Merck Mercuriadis in Rolling Stone: “The album will come out this year. There are ten Tuesdays left before January – it will come out on one of them.” He also half jokingly says: “ I don’t know that we will announce a release date. You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there.”

11/16/06: The Toronto Sun quotes GnR’s record label, Universal Music as saying: "We have no indication that a Guns N' Roses record will be released this year."

12/14/06: In a statement released on GnR’s official website Axl announces: 1) the remaining dates on the US tour are cancelled. 2) Merck Mercuriadis will no longer be the band’s manager 3) that the album will not be released in 2006. 4) announces a tentative release date of March 6th, 2007.

He says the US shows were cancelled because “valuable time needed by the band and record company for the proper setup and release of the album “Chinese Democracy” would have been lost. Rather than delay the album yet again, all involved have decided to remove these shows from GN’R’s schedule.”

Regarding the tentative March 6th release date: “We would like to assure the fans that everything in our power will be done to meet this date. Once it is finalized and official, you will be notified. If we are delayed for unseen reasons, you also will be notified as soon as possible in regard to a new date, and the album will be released as shortly thereafter as is possible.”

MINI-REUNIONS OF THE ORIGINAL GnR

GUNS N ROSES MINI-REUNIONS
A list of shows and albums in which members of the Appetite/Illusion era GnR lineups have played together.

April 29th, 1993 – Izzy Stradlin fills in for injured guitarist Gilby Clarke for 5 shows on GnR's European tour.
TOUR DATES:
05.22.1993 - Hayarkon Park, Tel Aviv, Israel
05.24.1993 - Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece
05.26.1993 - Inonu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey
05.29.1993 - National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England
05.30.1993 - National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England

October, 1993 - Duff releases his first solo album "Believe In Me" featuring guest appearances by Slash, Gilby Clarke and drummer Matt Sorum (Steven Adler’s replacement).

June, 1994 - Gilby Clarke's first solo album "Pawnshop Guitars" is released. Featuring guest appearances by Slash, Axl and Duff.

February, 1995 – Slash releases his first solo project called “Slash’s Snakepit: It’s Five O'Clock Somewhere" The band features Gilby, Matt, Eric Dover (vocals) and Mike Inez (bass). The album is co-produced by Appetite For Destruction producer Mike Clink. Duff co-wrote one of the songs "Beggars & Hangers On"

04/27/95: Izzy appears onstage with Slash’s Snakepit in Las Vegas. They perform “Bitch.”

August, 1996 - Neurotic Outsiders releases their debut album. The band features Duff and Matt.

March 10th, 1998 - Izzy Stradlin releases his second solo album 117°. The album features Duff on bass.

January 24th, 1999 - Duff, Matt and Slash play together at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

December 1999: Izzy releases his album Ride On featuring Duff on bass.

April 2000: Izzy tours Japan. Duff plays bass.

June 22nd, 2000 - Axl joins Gilby Clarke onstage at the Cat Club on Sunset Boulevard.

May 2001: Izzy releases his album River featuring Duff on bass.

Fall 2001: Slash, Izzy and Duff record an album’s worth of music together with drummer Taz. The songs feature Izzy on lead vocals. The album remains unreleased.

April 29th, 2002 - Slash, Duff and Matt played together with Buckcherry singer Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson at the Randy Castillo Tribute in Los Angeles.

August 2002: Izzy releases On Down The Road featuring Duff on bass.

Fall 2002: Slash, Duff, Matt and Izzy rehearse and record instrumental demos together as “The Project.” Izzy soon left the project and is replaced by Dave Kushner.

June 6th, 2003 – After several months of auditioning lead singers, Slash, Matt and Duff choose former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. The group chooses the name Velvet Revolver.

September 21st, 2003 - Izzy and Slash joined Steven Adler’s new band Adler's Appetite onstage at their show in Hollywood, CA. They play “Mr. Brownstone,” “Knockin' On Heaven's Door” and “Paradise City.”

10.30.2003 – Izzy joins Velvet Revolver for an acoustic set at the Susan Holmes Fashion Show. They perform Mary (aka “Angie”) and “You Got No Right.”

11.16.2003 – Duff, Izzy, Slash and Matt perform together at the Vanity Fair In Concert in Hollywood, CA, Songs performed: “Jumpin' Jack Flash” and “Mr. Brownstone” (both with Izzy on lead vocals).

June 8th, 2004 - Velvet Revolver's debut album, "Contraband" is released. The band then embarks on an 18 month world tour.

09.04.2004 – Izzy appears onstage with Velvet Revolver during their show in Bologna, Italy, They performs “It’s So Easy”

09.07.2004 - Izzy appears onstage with Velvet Revolver during their show in Paris, France, The perform “Used To Love Her” and “It’s So Easy.”

09.09.2004 - Izzy appears onstage with Velvet Revolver during their show in Barcelona, Spain. They perform “Used To Love Her” and “It’s So Easy”

May 31, 2006: Slash and Gilby perform “God Of Thunder” with former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley at the VHI Rock Awards show.

May – December 2006: Guns n Roses (featuring one original member Axl Rose) tours Europe and North America. Izzy makes numerous guest appearances onstage. Songs performed: “Think About You,” “Patience,” “Nightrain,” “Used To Love Her,” “Paradise City.” “My Michelle.” “You Gotta Move.” “Sway (7/29)” “Sailling (7/29)” “Back In The USSR (7/29)” “Izzy Guitar Solo (12/17)”
DATES:
05.17.2006 - New York City, NY, Hammerstein Ballroom
06.11.2006 - Donington, England, Download Festival
06.13.2006 - Prague, Czech Republic, Sazka Arena
06.15.2006 - Warszawa, Poland, Legia Stadium
06.17.2006 - Nickelsdorf, Austria, Novarock, Pannonia Fields II
06.20.2006 - Paris, France, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
07.02.2006 - Nijmegen, Holland, Goffert Park
07.08.2006 - Oslo, Norway, Spektrum
07.10.2006 - Malakasa, Greece, Rockwave Festival, Terravibe
07.12.2006 - Istanbul, Turkey, Kurucesme Arena
07.14.2006 - Bilbao, Spain, Bilbao Live Festival
07.15.2006 - El Ejido, Spain, Natural Festival
07.18.2006 - Sheffield, England, Hallam FM Arena
07.19.2006 - Newcastle, England, Metro Radio Arena
07.21.2006 - Glasgow, Scotland, Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre
07.23.2006 - Manchester, England, Manchester Evening News Arena
07.25.2006 - Birmingham, England, NEC Arena
07.27.2006 - Nottingham, England, Nottingham Arena
07.29.2006 - London, England, Wembley Arena
07.30.2006 - London, England, Wembley Arena
12.17.2006 - Universal City, CA, Gibson Amphitheatre
12.19.2006 - Universal City, CA, Gibson Amphitheatre
12.20.2006 - Universal City, CA, Gibson Amphitheatre

May 10th, 2007: Velvet Revolver begins a tour of North America and Europe

July 3, 2007: Velvet Revolver’s second studio album “Libertad” due in stores.

VARIOUS VERSIONS OF "CHINESE DEMOCRACY"

Music critics and fans often believe that Axl Rose has been working on the same album for the past 13 years. Actually, he has worked on several different projects with various GnR lineups and numerous producers. Here's a quick summary of what unreleased albums are believed to be "in the vaults."

VERSION ONE: UNTITLED (1994-97)
MUSICIANS: Axl Rose (vocals) Slash (guitar) Duff McKagan (bass) Gilby Clarke (guitar) Matt Sorum (drums) Dizzy Reed (keyboards) Paul Tobias (guitar) Zakk Wylde (guitar) Izzy Stradlin (songwriter)
PRODUCERS: Unknown
SONGS RELEASED: Sympathy For The Devil (single)
Music recorded by GnR’s Use Your Illusion era lineup before Gilby was fired and Slash, Duff and Matt quit. Not known if any real songs were finished. Slash later said a lot of the music ended up on his Snakepit album It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.

VERSION TWO: 2000 INTENTIONS or COCKAROACH SOUP (1998-1999)
MUSICIANS: Axl Rose (vocals, piano) Robin Finck (guitar) Paul Tobias (guitar) Dizzy Reed (keyboards) Tommy Stinson (bass) John Freese (drums) Chris Pittman (programming) Brian May, Gary Sunshine, Dave Navarro (additional guitar) Chris Vrena and Dave Abbruzzese (drums/programming)
PRODUCERS: Axl Rose & Sean Beavan
ADDITIONAL PRODUCERS: Mike Clink, Moby, Youth
SONGS RELEASED: Oh My God (End Of Days soundtrack)
NOTE: By 1998 Axl had assembled a new lineup for GnR and they began working on a new album. Rumors album titles were 2000 Intentions or Cockaroach Soup with a possible release date of late 1999. The album was believed to have an electronica/industrial sound. The sessions unravelled after the poor critical/commerical reaction to "Oh My God." Soon after drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Robin Finck left the band.

VERSION THREE: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION REDUX (1999)
MUSICIANS: Axl Rose (vocals, piano) Robin Finck (guitar) Paul Tobias (guitar) Dizzy Reed (keyboards) Tommy Stinson (bass) John Freese (drums) Chris Pittman (programming)
PRODUCERS: Axl Rose & Sean Beavan
SONG TITLES: Welcome To The Jungle, It’s So Easy, Mr. Brownstone, Nightrain, Out Ta Get Me, Paradise City, My Michelle, Think About You, Sweet Child O’Mine, You Could Be Mine (replacing Anything Goes), Patience (replacing You’re Crazy), Rocket Queen.
SONGS RELEASED: Sweet Child O’Mine (partial) (Big Daddy soundtrack)
NOTE: During breaks in working on 2000 Intentions Axl and the new lineup recorded an updated version of GnR’s debut album Appetite For Destruction. This was mainly to help prepare the band for future concerts. Axl told Kurt Loder at the time: “I don't know what I'm going to do with it, exactly, when I would be putting that out. But you know, it has a lot of energy.”

VERSION FOUR: CHINESE DEMOCRACY (2000-2004)
MUSICIANS: Axl Rose (vocals, piano) Robin Finck (guitar) Paul Tobias (guitar) Buckethead (guitar) Dizzy Reed (keyboards) Tommy Stinson (bass) Brian “Brain” Mantia (drums) Chris Pittman (programming), Richard Fortus (guitar)
PRODUCERS: Axl Rose & Roy Thomas Baker
A&R: Bob Ezrin
ORCHESTRA ARRANGERS: Marco Beltrami, Paul Buckmaster
SONG TITLES: Catcher in the Rye, I.R.S, The Blues, Oklahoma and 'TWAT (There Was A Time'), Prostitute, This I Love, Ides Of March, Seven, Leave Me Alone, General, Thyme.
NEW SONGS PLAYED LIVE: Chinese Democracy, The Blues, Silkworms, Madagascar, Rhiyad And The Bedouins, Oh My God.
NOTES: In early 2000 Axl and his management revealed the title of the next GnR record would be Chinese Democracy. Soon afterwards, guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain joined the band and Robin Finck came back. The band hoped to finish the album during breaks in their 2002-2003 Chinese Democracy world tour. Those plans were scrapped after the North American tour imploded and Buckethead left the band.

VERSION FIVE: CHINESE DEMOCRACY TAKE 2 (2004-present)
MUSICIANS: Axl Rose (vocals, piano) Robin Finck (guitar) Richard Fortus (guitar) Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (guitar) Dizzy Reed (keyboards) Tommy Stinson (bass) Brian “Brain” Mantia (drums) Frank Ferrer (drums) Chris Pittman (programming)
PRODUCERS: Axl Rose, Caram Costanzo
ENGINEERS: Eric Cadieux, Andy Wallace
SONG TITLES:
Sorry, If The World
LEAKED DEMOS: Better (2 version), IRS (2 versions), Catcher In The Rye, TWAT/There Was A Time (2 versions), Chinese Democracy, Madagascar. The Blues
NOTES: In 2004 the band re-entered the studio to continue work on Chinese Democracy. In 2006, several demos were leaked online and Axl and GnR’s management promised the album would be released “this year.” However, 2006 passed without an official release. As of May 2007, the album still has not come out.